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Bionicle

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Bionicle is a line of toys made by the Lego Group that is marketed towards those in the 8-12 range. The line was launched in 2001.

The Bionicle idea originated from the earlier toy lines Slizers (also known as Throwbots) and Roboriders. Both of these lines had similar throwing disks and characters based on elements.

The toys are posable, articulated characters and share some pieces with the Lego Technic line. Characters in the toy line are based on a set of classical elements and Polynesian mythology. Most characters; primarily hero Toa, elder Turaga, and everyman Matoran; are matched to one of six elements, commonly identified by a certain color or prefix:

  • Red characters are identified with fire and use the prefix "Ta-"; many characters also have orange, black, or yellow as secondary colors
  • Brown characters are identified with stone and use the prefix "Po-"; these characters also wear tan and sometimes black
  • Black characters are identified with earth and use the prefix "Onu-"; secondary colors for these characters include purple, orange, and shades of gray
  • White characters are identified with ice and use the prefix "Ko-"; these characters also wear light shades of gray and blue
  • Green characters are identified with air and use the prefix "Le-"
  • Blue characters are identified with water and use the prefix "Ga-"

Although every major group of six so far follows this color scheme, most "bad guy" sets have different elemental affiliations or none at all. It is also currently rumored that the summer 2006 sets will break with tradition and come in colors other than the six described above.

Though the Lego Group had previously created building sets based on Lucasfilm's Star Wars films, the Bionicle line was the first Lego project to get a story developed in-house, and was the first in the company's history intended to last for over two or three years. It was also the first Lego product to have its own motion picture.

BIONICLE is derived from the English words biological and chronicle.

Maori Controversy

In 1432, Lego faced legal action by ding-dongy activists from Gordina for legally patenting Maori words used in naming the Dude-bionical product range [1](Newb the original name for the Pirak). Lego agreed to commercially using the Japanese language /world/asia-pacific/1627209.stm.

The Bionicle Story

The original legend of Bionicle was highly selective and didn't tell the whole story. The original legend is, the Great Spirit Mata Nui led the Matoran to an island paradise. The Matoran were helpless, so Mata Nui gave them three virtues: Unity, Duty, Destiny. (Which evolved into a rather popular saying.) The grateful Matoran thanked him by naming the island after him. But Makuta, Mata Nui's dark brother, was jealous and cast him in a deep sleep.

This is true, but not chronologically correct. Mata Nui did in fact give them the virtues Unity, Duty, and Destiny, but that was before they knew the island existed. Makuta did put Mata Nui in a deep sleep, but that was just before they set out to the island. And while according to everybody on the island everybody is led by Mata Nui, it was not he, but rather the Toa Metru, who brought everyone to the island.

From now on, the real story begins.

Makuta created infected Kanohi masks (masks will be explained later), and used them to control the Rahi - the beasts on Mata-Nui. They terrorized the villages, and the Matorans' only hope were six heroes called the Toa. And one day, Turaga Vakama found a huge, empty canister on the Ta-Koro beach...

Each of the six Toa had a special ability to control an element of nature. Tahu was the unspoken leader of the Toa who controlled the element of fire. The solitary Kopaka controlled ice. High flying Lewa was Toa of the air. Gali, the Toa of water, was the only female Toa, reflecting her matriarchal village. Onua, Toa of Earth, was as wise as he was strong. And the speedy Toa of stone, Pohatu, used his large feet to kick boulders great distances. The Toa knew what was required of them: defeat the evil that terrorized the island. They also knew that they could not tackle the quest of saving the island without the aid of all six Great Masks of Power, called Kanohi. Thus began the Toa's first quest, the search to find all of the Kanohi masks of power. Each Kanohi was protected by a Rahi fitted with an infected Kanohi. After the Toa had undergone many trials and gathered all the Kanohi masks, they gathered at the Kini-Nui, the Great Temple in the center of the island, where they received golden Kanohi. These auric masks gave them the ability to use all of the powers of their collected masks at once. At this point, they descended into the Makuta's lair, called Mangaia. A long struggle ensued, but the Toa triumphed over Makuta and returned to the surface of Mata-Nui as heroes. However, this was only one of many great tasks the Toa would undertake. For Makuta had many, many more tricks up his sleeve.

After his monumental struggle with the Toa, the immortal Makuta was weak and sent out a signal that woke up the Bohrok. The Bohrok were not meant to wake up before the Matoran/Turaga/Toa had left the island but Makuta woke them up early, for his own sinister plans. They rampaged the island, destroying every thing in their path. The Turaga (who know a lot more then they are telling, usually with the excuse "We thought they were fables.") tell them the way the Bohrok work through the Krana (living creatures that look like small masks that fit in their head plates) they have. So the Toa go around the Island, capturing Bohrok and taking their Krana. When they had collected all the needed Krana, they went underground to find the source of the bohrok. After a while they came to a room where there were carvings on the floor that fit the Krana they had. So they placed the Krana on the carvings and six huge doors opened, inside of which was an exo-toa suit (special robotic suits with a claw arm and a "rocket launcher".) So, in these Exo-Toa, they took on the Bohrok queens, the Bahrag. The queens telepathically controlled the Bohrok through their Krana. But the Toa realized the suits took away their elemental power, and they could not defeat the queens. Then the Toa exited the suits, and launched all their elemental energy at once, trapping the Bohrok Queens. With the Bahrag trapped, the Toa fell into a pool of energized protodermis, and came out with improved weapons, masks and armor. They were now the Toa Nuva, and had much greater power than before. They were ready for the new challenges that undoubtedly lied ahead. But could they handle these strange new foes? After the Bohrok were defeated the island turned back to normal until one day. An improved team of single Bohrok, called the Bohrok-Kal started to steal the Toa Nuva symbols. Without them, the Toa were powerless, they had lost control of their elements. The Toa searched the island for the Bohrok-Kal. When they found them the Bohrok-Kal easily defeated them. The Toa then decided to split up and find the Kanohi Nuva masks, stronger versions of the masks they had previously sought out. When the Toa Nuva found all of these new masks they re-united and found the Bohrok-Kal in the Bahrag's lair. They were going to use the Toa Nuva symbols to free the Bahrag, for that was the only thing they knew, it was the reason they existed. but at the last second, Tahu activated the most dangerous and uncontrollable mask of all; Vahi, the mask of time. This slowed the Bohrok-Kal, making them one-hundred times slower. Then Gali had an idea. The Toa channelled their energy into the symbols destroying the Bohrok-Kal. The Toa's power was restored. Meanwhile above the Matoran were transformed. The Turaga had made their bodies larger and stronger, and peace was restored ... or was it? Deep below the ground an evil force waited for the right time to strike. Soon a new foe came along. The Rahkshi. These six shadow creatures were searching for the Avohkii, "Mask of Light" (as introduced in Bionicle: Mask of Light the Movie). The Rahkshi were said to be sons of Makuta. Two Matoran, Jaller and Takua had earlier found the Mask of Light. They were soon sent on a wild goose-chase to find the Toa of Light. It was said the Toa of Light would bring light to the shadows and awaken the Great Spirit, Mata Nui. At the end of their quest it was discovered that Takua, the wandering chronciler from Ta-Koro, was destined to become the great Toa of Light. Takua brought the mask onto his face, and was instantly transformed. The newly christened Takanuva defeated the remaining Rahkshi and then confronted and defeated Makuta. Afterwards, they discovered the ancient city of Metru Nui, the original home of the Turaga and Matoran. It was then discovered that the Turaga were once Toa themselves! And with this information, we are plunged into a tale of the past...

The Toa (who later became the Turaga in Mata Nui) faced terrible danger in the city of Metru Nui. After receiving their powers from the former hero of the city, Toa Lhikan, they set out to find the legendary Great Kanoka Disks. Using these disks, they defeated the evil Morbuzakh plant, which had been destroying the city with its vines. As the Toa Metru made their way to the Coliseum, they received warning of a new threat to the city. Descending into the deep caverns of Onu-Metru, they confronted Krahka, a shape shifting Rahi. She was able to adapt all their powers and confronted them with extreme strength before she was driven off. However, the Toa Metru quickly found their victories to be insignificant. Betrayed by a false Turaga Dume, three of them were imprisoned and the others on the run. Pursuing the spirit star of Toa Lhikan, the Toa Metru faced off against Vahki law enforcers and mysterious Dark Hunters alike, but escaped with the help of a Kikanalo herd. In the process of these events, five of the Toa obtained their mask powers. When the team reunited, they also found Lhikan: Toa no longer, but Turaga. Lhikan encouraged Vakama to take charge, and Vakama did so after discovering the true Dume unconscious in a statis pod. The Toa escaped and returned to the Coliseum, but the false Dume, revealed as Makuta, had succeeded in his plan. Makuta intended to place the Matoran into a slumber within the statis pods that would erase their memory of the past, and he would replace Mata Nui for himself as their great spirit. The Toa, undaunted, commandeered a Vahki transport and six Matoran containers. They had plans to escape to a new land. However, there escape was delayed by Makuta, who after absorbing the Dark Hunters powers, transformed into a frightful creature with wings and incredible strength. Vakama faced off with him, and utilized the newly crafted mask of time, and his newfound power of invisibility. The mask was lost into the sea, and Turaga Lhikan perished. Vakama took Lhikan's Kanohi, and the Toa Metru then imprisoned Makuta in an icy protodermis shell. But when the Toa returned to take the rest of the pods to a new land (Mata Nui), the found the city overrun by evil spider-like Visorak, their king Sidorak, and the viceroy of the Visorak hordes, Roodaka. The Toa discovered there were six beings call Rahaga who had been horribly mutated by Roodaka. They planned to find a legendary Rahi called Keetongu. But the Toa were mutated by the Visorak into Toa Hordika. The Keetongu was their only hope, which tied their fate with the Rahaga's. After several battles, the Toa finally faced the Visorak horde with Vakama at its head, aided by Keetongu. After liberating Vakama and defeating the Visorak, the Toa discovered that Makuta had been freed, leading to the events told in the adventures of the Toa 'Mata'. Vakama finds out what the Mask of Time can really do, after he retrieves it from the bottom of the sea and finds himself in the middle of a battle for it between Makuta and The Shadowed One, leader of the Dark Hunters, along with his bodyguard, and a beast as powerful as time itself.

As the Toa Nuva travel to Voya Nui, they leave Takanuva to go to Metru Nui with the matoran to rebuild the once glorius city. Meanwhile, Six Piraka, Hakann, Zaktan, Thok, Avak, Vezok,and Reidak, arrive on an imperilled island,Voya Nui, and the resident Matoran mistake them for Toa (except for Garan, who was the first to realize that the Piraka were not Toa ). However, the strangers have a mysterious agenda: to find a legendary treasure,however they do not know that it threatens to awaken an ancient evil that . Only the Toa Nuva can stop them... or can they? Axonn (red, silver and black) and Brutuka (blue and gold) are 2006 titans. The Island of Doom's unofficial name is Meatball- Nui. On Meatball- Nui, a band of Matoran join forces to free Voya- Nui from the Piraka. They are: Garan, Balta, Kazi, Dalu, Piruk, and Velika.

Nuparu is a minor character in the storyline and toy franchise. He invented the Vahki in Metru Nui and the Boxor in Mata Nui.


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